And james



(No Model.)

C. J. MEDBERRY 8: J. T. GURNBY.

REFRIGERATOR.

No. 594,413. Patented NOV. 30,1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OI-IAUNOEY J. MEDBERRY, OF FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN, AND JAMES THEODORE GURNEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

Rlal-'RlcaERA-ron.

srEcrEIcArIoN forming part of Lettere Patent No. 594,413, dated. November so, 1,897.

Original application led January 31, 1893, Serial No. 460,499. Divided and this application filed February 20, 1894. Serial No. 500,935. (No model.)

To allY whom it may concern.:

Beit known that we, CHAUNCEY J. MED- BERRY, residing at Fond du Lac, in the county of Fond du Lac and State of Wisconsin, and JAMES THEODORE GURNEY, residing at Boston, in the county of Su'olk and State of Massachusetts, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerators; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in refrigerators, it pertaining more particularly to improvements in refrigerators of the sort referred to in the patent to J. T. Gurney, No. 249,758, of November 22, 1881. An extensive experience With the de'vicesillustrated in said patent has shown us a number of disadvantages, which we have succeeded in obviating by means of the construction herein shown.

Figure l is a vertical section of a refrigerator containing our invention. Fig. 2 is a perd spective of the ice-tank. Figs. 3 and 4 show modifications of the devices for supporting the ice-rack. Figs. and 6 are sections of the top parts of the refrigerator, showing how the supports in Figs. 3 and 4 are applied. Fig. 7 is a plan view showing the ice-tank and outside walls of the refrigerator.

In the drawings, A A representthe side walls of the tank, they preferably converging slightly to assist in collecting the drip at the bottom. They are turned inwardly, as at a, for purposes to be described. At the upper ends they are provided with a number of perforations a a.

B B are strips or bars fastened to the lower edges and extending down to a suitable distance. To thelower ends of these strips` or bars is secured the pan C.

D D are a series of bars arranged transversely of the ice-tank and secured to the inner sides a short distance above the inwardly-turned edges a a. Upon these rests the ice-rack E, which may be made 'in any suitable way, preferably consisting of corrugated metal.

The upper parts of the walls A A of the tank are formed with outwardly-turned flanges F F, which rest in rabbets in the upper edges of the refrigerator-walls. By examining Fig. l it will be seen that the upper parts of the tank-walls fit comparatively close to the refrigerator-walls, the flanges F being reduced in width. The tank may be held by means of Vmetallic brackets F', secured to the inner faces of the refrigerator-Walls, as shown in Fig. 3, or cross-bars F2 may be employed, as in Fig. 4. The pan or plate O, which receives the water of melting from the corrugated plate E, is secured to the tank by a number of strap-hangers B B, which firmly support it at a considerable distance therefrom. The tank may be held by means of metallic brackets secured to the inner faces of the refrigerator-walls, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, or crossbars may be employed, as in Figs. 4 and 6. The pan 0r bottom plate E is suspended from the ice-tank B bya number of strap-hangers g, which rmly support it at a considerable distance therefrom.

Below the bottom plate O there is a pan Gr, which is detachably connected to the part O by means of the hangers g g, which have hooks at their upper ends engaging the edges ofpan C and riveted or otherwise secured to said pan G. This pan Gr acts to catchrthe drip from the outer surfaces of the parts above and conducts it to the waste-pipe H. It not containing either ice or cold water will not ordinarily be sufficiently cold to cause the condensation of any moisture uponeits eXterior surface; butthe pan or plate C is constantly condensing vapors and moisture on its lower surface, as it is in contact with water which is practically ice cold. The lower pan Gr prevents this water of condensation from dropping upon the contents of the refrigerator.

Having thus described the several parts of our refrigerator and having referred to the earlier patent, No. 249,7 58, it will be seen that the one herein referred to presents a number of features of advantage over the earlier one. The hooks or supporting-arms of the earlier tank have been dispensed with, as it was found that the ice-tanks when supported by such devices left large openings at IOO the sides through which small particles not only of ice, but of other foreign materials, could get access to the lower part of the refrigerator-eompartment. Therefore we have fitted the upper edges of the walls of the icetank snugly to the interior surfaces of the refrigerator proper at the upper edges thereof, and have provided for vertical support by means of the iianges F and the brackets or rabbets, and at the same time have secured a copious circulation of air by forming the apertures a, in the walls at their upper parts.

Again, we maintain the peculiar advantages incident to the earlier form at the lower part of the tank, but embody them in a different way. As is well known, there is a great advantage in having inwardly-turned portions, such as at a, first, to prevent small pieces of ice from escaping outwardly, and, second, to assist in compelling certain parts of the air to come in Contact with the ice at the bottom of the tank, and it is also known that it is advantageous to combine with each outwardlyturned parts lips or walls, such as at c, to catch the water of condensation, and, secondly, to coact with the outwardly-turned parts at a in performing the function referred to in respect to conducting the air toward the ice. The lighter air and gases rise to the top of the tank, and after entering through the apertures a/ pass down and around among the particles of ice and out through the passages below, while the heavier air and gases iind access to and direct contact with the ice by passing inward over the outwardly-turned edges of the pan C and under the inwardlyturned edges at a.

By dropping the part C to some distance below the edges a a much freer circulation of air is provided for than was attained with the construction in the said earlier patent, in which construction there were slits cut in the side walls for the. passage of air. In the present case the rack E constitutes, practically, the bottom of the ice-holder, perfectly free circulation of air being permitted below said rack.

The ice-tank can be readily lifted out at any time and the several parts thereof separated, so that it can be easily cleaned.

In the early construction above referred to the inwardly-turned lips at the bottom edges of the ice-tank were depended on to support the ice-rack. In large tanks such support is not sufficient; but one entirely adequate is providedin the construction herein, the other advantages incident to the inwardly-turned lips or flanges being still attained.

It will be seen that the pan C, which collects the water of melting of the ice, is inclined so that the escape-passage for said water at c shall be at a relatively low point, so as to discharge the water into t-he expanded or funnel-like upper end 7L of the waste-pipe. The drip-pan C will also slope toward the waste-pipe.

IV e do not herein claim any of the features claimed i-n our application Serial No. 460,499, filed January 3l, 1893, of which this present case is a division, preferring to claim in that application all matters not relating to the construction and arrangement of the drip-pans with relation to the ice-tank, which latter are made the subject-matter of this application.

Vhat we claim is- The combination with the external casing of a refrigerator, of the ice-tank removable from said casing and having a relatively tight joint therewith, and having a bottom which is practically entirely open when its detachable parts are removed, suspension-bars across the tank above the bottom, a corrugated plate supported on said bars, the drip-pan below the open bottom and secured to the tank and having upward-turned side walls and an inclined bottom which is imperforate except at the point of discharge of the waste water, said drip-pan being adapted to collect the water of melting of the ice, the supplemental, lower, detachable pan, suspended from the upper drip-pan, and extending beyond the outer vertical lines thereof, and having an inclined bottom parallel to the bottom of the upper pan with a discharge opening under that aforesaid, said lower pan heilig adapted to collect the water of condensation from the upper pan, and the wastepipe II, said ice-tank and drip-pans being suspended out of contact with the side walls of the easin g, and the icetank having apertures a' at the top, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CI'IAUNCEY J. MEDBERRY. J. THEODORE GURNICY.

Witnesses for Medberry:

F. O. MINOR, M. J. PECK. Vitnesses for Gurney:

LLEWELLYN BONHAM, Z. DAvIs.

IOO 

